Mabiste safe



J. FOSTER Marine Safe.

Patented Jany 12, 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH FOSTER, OF SANDWICH, MASSACHUSETTS.

MARINE SAFE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,084, dated January 12, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH FosrER, of Sandwich, in the county ofBarnstable and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved MarineSafe; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described andrepresented in the following specification and the accompanyingdrawings, of which- Figure 1, denotes a front elevation of it. Fig. 2, avertical and central section. Fig. 3, a horizontal section.

In these drawings, A, represents a long metallic vessel or case formedwith a series of narrow, hollow air tight ribs B, B, B, arranged up anddown its external surface and around it, at equal distances apart, andeach projecting a short distance from the said surface. These ribs areto operate not only as fenders to protect the main vessel from injury,but as air vessels for giving buoyancy to the vessel when it may beloaded with packages or mail matter or other articles and immersed inwater. Above these fenders and between an annulus or confining ring C,surrounding the mouth of the vessel there is arranged a hollow air tightannulus or safety chamber, D, which serves not only to aid in givingbuoyancy to the vessel, A, but in supporting the cap ring, O, whichrests directly on the inner side of or makes part of the hollow annulus.This cap ring is made of metal, and is recessed or rabbeted for thereception of a circular cap plate or mouth piece, E, and a packing ringa, of india-rubber or leather placed between the two, the whole beingconfined together by a series of screws 6, Z), which pass through thecap plate and the packing ring and into the cap ring, but not throughit.

Over the cap plate, E, and resting on the cap ring, O, is an extra capor cover, F, which is formed hollow, or with an air space, G, within itand is confined to the cap ring by screws 0, c, which pass through alip, d, of the cover plate and a packing ring, 6, and screw into thecap, C, but not through it. The air space, G, while it serves to affordadditional buoyant powers to the vessel A, serves to protect the coverfrom injury and from leakage, for in case the inner cover may not bescrewed down so tight, but what water would pass between it and into thesafe, the outer cover may have been applied with a water tight or nearlywater tight joint. Thus by the use of the extra cover, the safe will bebetter protected from the entrance of water and be improved in otherrespects.

My marine safe is intended for the transportation of mail matter andother valuables by sea or on board sea going vessels, particularly thosewhich are liable to be wrecked. In case of danger to a vessel the safemay be thrown overboard, and will float on the sea, until it may be caston shore or be picked up by a passing vessel,in either of which cases,its contents may be saved. Besides this, the safe may often be employedas a life preserver, as well as a means of saving property from loss atsea.

I do not claim applying air chambers to a vessel to buoy the same upwhen immersed in water, nor do I claim a marine safe or trunk made withair tight chamber applied to a receiving chamber provided with a mouthand closing cap plate; but

WVhat I do claim in the construction of a marine safe for preservingletters, money or other articles from shipwreck, is

The arrangement of the extra cap F with the air chambers D and B inconnection with the safe A, constructed and operating as and for thepurpose described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature this twenty thirdday of November, A. D. 1857.

JOSIAH FOSTER.

Witnesses:

H. AUGUSTUS SEARS, CHARLES B. HALL.

